Click!
by borntoflyhigh
Summary: Story 5: 'I know he's scared, I know he still has those nightmares, I know he's confused and I know that I'm nothing but a burden for him...it wasn't his fault that I got ditched in some lake and decided to die. I wish I didn't know all this and I wish I had never died...This was me. Dead, rotten, decomposed. Who'd love me? Who'd love a dead person' - Eugene Davis.
1. - L I N -

"**CLICK!"**

**Disclaimer: I never owned Ghost Hunt I thought you guys knew that...**

**A/N: So while I am creating a plausible plot for my next story, I came up with this please excuse me if this doesn't make sense, it was written unintentionally after all. So here you have it.**

**Summary: Noll wasn't blind to his feelings or was he? Lin recalls all those time he spent with his ward, Noll's fears, thougts and tries to settle on a conclusion about his relationship with Mai. A story line told by different people from different angles, watch what the camera captures.**

**Pairings: MxN, LxMad, AxM, YxMas...other normal pairings, I respect John's wishes to remain a priest :-)**

**Read and Review...**

**- L I N -**

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, Oliver was not blind...

He was on the other hand more observant and intelligent than any teenager I have met in my life, however, as I watched him cough a little to himself and bury his head in the book when Mai-san's head rested on his shoulder, I had my doubts on him being the most genius boy in the universe. Mai-san's head somehow snuggled further into his shoulder and I watched his eyes grow wide, not in discomfort but in amazement and as I observed the two from the car's mirror, unable to hide a grin. She opened him like she was a key and he was a door, rusted yet willing to be opened if anyone tried.

I think he _is _blind...

I had known Oliver and Eugene since they both were two little eight year old boys, powerful, but nonetheless children and may I emphasize as I first thought, two good-for-nothing twins, with great attitude, arrogance and confidence. Noll's personality fulfilled the criteria but Gene's didn't meet the qualifications of my imagined kid, he was more like an annoying, pink-haired, loud woman I knew. Oliver was a book back then, a closed one but somehow I managed to earn his trust and get him to confide in me, which he rarely did. A certain woman once remarked that the reason for me and Noll being friends was that we were both alike. Surely I'm nothing like this stupid teen seated behind me, hiding a smile as Mai sighed in her sleep, I'm more expressive, maybe not, but still I do speak more than him.

Alas, both Mai-san and Madoka may beg to differ on the above point.

Noll was a smart child, that much I knew since he outwitted me with his theory on the supernatural when I first met him but I also knew that besides having born with good looks and more brains than those put together of the whole male population, he was still imperfect in various ways. I understood him like he was my son, he hated being compared, not because he was afraid he would lose but because he was sure that no one could win against him. He did not like stupid people, he detested Madoka's black-mailing technique, his mother's loud ways, his brother's stupid antics and my '_unnecessary' _advice on matters. He never spoke in favor of holidays, money or any other luxuries but he simply demanded books, silence and oxygen, which Luella and Martin were more than happy to give. But that was all before Gene died...

I somehow had always pitied Noll since the very beginning, because somehow I felt that he was alone, too lonely for even my liking. He had no friends, people saw him as a locked-up boy, he had no friends, nobody trusted him and what actually made me be his confidante was the way in which he was indifferent to it, the way he accepted it; to me it was unnerving, the way he was quiet, alone, buried in books. He knew the mistakes in him and he let himself be walked over with by trying to be Gene's shadow only.

So I was naturally happy when Taniyama-san started to bring out the real him, the person he had sealed beneath layers of knowledge, wisdom, calm and cool. She was his opposite, like another dimension but she tried to get past his walls and for that I had always respected her. She was Noll's first friend after Gene, the first person he actually talked to.

I had seen him break at Gene's death, in fact I had been the first one to rush in his room to see the PK overflowing from his being and his pale hand clutching Gene's black shirt tightly, his breathing abnormal, coming out in irregular gasps as he slid to the floors. But he didn't cry, there wasn't a single tear, his breathing was the only proof of his sadness other than that his expression had hardened, his eyes becoming nothing but blue orbs and he was more intent on working restlessly. I was just able to stand and watch while he worked himself away, I could do nothing more than watch from a distance and worry over him. Finally upon Martin's insistence, I was told to escort the boy to Japan and be his guardian; truth to be told I had almost no hope of finding Gene's body but for his sake I came here.

And then Taniyama-san waltzed in his life, turning him around, the change was gradual and no one except me and Madoka could spot it but he was politer, he considered twice before speaking and he had developed a playful side by teasing Mai-san. At first I ignored the fact that he may develop a fondness for the clumsy, danger-magnet, cheerful, loud girl but as time passed I became sure, absolutely sure that Noll liked the girl. Madoka went to her extremes and at one occasion bet her fingers on the fact that he may feel more than simply liking.

I didn't like her at first, she was too loud, noisy, obnoxious, disobedient and a _Japanese, also_ she had injured me due to her carelessness and had somehow this silly, unrealistic attitude towards life but as the days passed and she became a regular I was compelled to reconsider. The way she would come in and announce her entrance, shout at Noll, call him names, be childish and pull disastrous pranks on him, reminded me of Gene, it reminded him of Gene too and that's why he tried to keep his distance, failing miserably.

Oliver twitched once more in the back seat , and silently leaned against the leather surface, trying to sleep ignoring Mai's head which was buried in the crook of his neck. Accidentally, he caught me staring at them and his eyes gave me a clear message. _'One word and I'll rip you from limb to limb' _I watched as he let his eyes close, it was the first time I had seen him so peaceful, since Gene's death.

Beside me in the passenger seat, Hara-san let out a sigh, apparently she had seen the little scene in the back and was mourning for it, but one look at her face told me that she had too accepted the fact that Noll liked Mai. Her contemplative pose accentuated by the kimono sleeve that hid her frown spoke of how much she envied their silent happiness.

Everybody knows that they like each other, except them, they are not blind, nor are they dense; they simply didn't want to open their eyes to reality, they diidn't want to admit. I just can't imagine Mai-san's expression, when he would tell her his real name, his purpose for coming to Japan, when he would disband the tean. She would yell at him, be heart broken but the thing I wanted to see was if he would care. If he did, then I would contemplate on getting rid of the title 'idiot scientist' which had been bestowed to him, but if he didn't – well then.

Slowly I watched as he pushed Mai away from his shoulder and settled her carefully on the other side of the seat seeing Hara-san's frown diminish to hopefulness. He leaned back in his seat, pinched his nose bridge and sighed to himself as if Mai had caused him real trouble but I think I knew what he was thinking, what he felt. He was afraid, afraid of gaining something and loosing it, afraid of breaking this time, he never took risks and he was avoiding taking one now. But I believed that this risk was worth it and he still pushed it away, still tried to block it out.

No doubt he was blind...

No doubt he still had a long way to go before he learned what the girl meant to him...

_That idiot scientist._

* * *

-The End-

Words: 1478

Edited: 17/12/2013

**T****hanks for reading I'll upload the next installment soon :-) I know it's nothing special but it's just a new technique I'm experimenting with. Until next time!**

**-Borntoflyhigh.**


	2. - M A S A K O -

**'Click'**

**Disclaimer: No I do not own Ghost Hunt, my lawyer will brief you further on the matter...**

**Lawyer: She does not own Ghost Hunt, do you think Naru would be on two feet if she did that?**

**Me: Excuse me!? **

**Happens before finding Gene's body.**

**Summary: For her, the first time falling in love didn't come with the customary package; there were no violins playing in her heart and flowers in the background when she met him nor did he speak of red roses and poetic verses. Yeah, what love bought her was a rival and what could she do when the rival was no less than angel? Nothing. Absolutely nothing...**

* * *

**- O-**

I think I agree with public opinion, now; blackmailing him for the mere sake of my advantageous amusement wasn't the best of my schemes. To be honest, this scheme also questioned my cleverness, how could I use his identity as a pathetic excuse when I could have clearly come up with something more plausible than _this._

"_You've got something on Naru, haven't you?"_

And the last thing I needed to remember at the moment was Mai, when she was voicing out my feelings for me back on the Urado case...

From the very beginning I somehow knew that I had no chance with the cold, icy Oliver Davis; not because I was out of his league like _Mai _but because of the complete opposite. I was like him, quiet, calm, professional, beautiful and rich and that was why, maybe that was why he _only_ respected me...

Ha! as if...'respect?', that man doesn't have such a polite dictionary in his mind for God's sake and here I was actually associating a word related to politeness. How silly of me...

But then again, he bends the rules for her...Mai.

And here they go again...

* * *

"At least say thank you Naru, it's common manners to do so! Oh wait, common manners and Naru?! No way in Hell!" Mai yelled at him, her tone changing from admonishing to mocking in a second.

The sounds paused for a moment before a slow murmur could be detected. Great, I, Hara Masako had now stooped to eavesdropping. Just great...

"Mai will you stop being annoying like a child, don't you have something else to do?"

_If I hadn't known him better, I'd think that he was flirting._

"Why did I want to work with you Naru? I must have been pretty stupid back then to agree to such an '_enchanting'_ offer..."

"Your welcome. I was never aware of my altruism."

_Well he is flirting...and by the looks of it, she doesn't know yet._

Why did he treat her differently, was it out of empathy of being an orphan like him? No, Oliver never distributed his pity by words, if he did pity someone, he probably restrained such polite thoughts to the boundaries of his mind. No maybe...just maybe he _did _like her...

My love life was typically painful like that of any other girl but it had that twist, that unforgivable hindrance in it. A rival...sure everybody has a rival but what do you do when your rival is nothing less than an angel, like a cup of sunshine on a rainy day. My rival was too vulnerable, too good, much better than I am, he deserved her.

But then again if he would have cared for corporeal attributes, I would have been his choice...

The day I actually noticed that he held a certain amount of fondness for her was when I saw him glance at her during that park-case* when I was steering him out of the office for a date, he silently glanced at her as if silently communicating with her and nobody could understand how it feels for your boyfriend to glance at another girl and communicate with her through his eyes only.

Boyfriend? Or more like a boy hired to be one...I don't know, I wish he was the former and yet...yet, I know it's a practical impossibility. After a few moments, I watch Mai stomping out of the office her face red and splotched with blush lines.

"Narcissistic idiot, what does he think he is, that tea-addicted jerk, one day I'll poison his precious tea and then I'll see what he does, no, I think I'll spike his tea and then I'll watch him getting all-"

I sighed at her incessant ramblings and stood up slowly, walking towards her.

"Oh hey Masako, how you doing, long time no see..."

"I just saw you two days back Mai, stop being stupid." I sighed once more, hugging her reluctantly.

"Oh...hehehe, sorry I was just thinking about Naru, he just makes me mad by his comments, that stupid man."

"You deserve it."

"That's extremely mean Masako! Whose side are you on, huh? Mine or his" She hissed, pointing at his office door.

I considered for a moment; then I went for the thing that was actually going to tear her apart, my victory point, my triumph.

"I'm his girlfriend Mai," I declared dryly. "Of course I'd be taking his side."

"Oh..." I watch as different emotions crossed her face; sadness, tension, realization, anger and...and jealous. She was jealous of me.

_Bingo!_

"I – I see, do you want me to go in and call him, he might want to see you."

Her voice came out in high octaves as if she was putting a cheerful facade and not wanting to show how mad she was. I relished in the temporary happiness and nodded sweetly, watching her stalk towards his office once more. This time, I followed her once she goes inside the office and peep inside the office door, through the crack in the unclosed door, sometimes I feel the urge to hug Mai for being so clumsy. No wonder why evil spirits took advantage of her ineptitude.

_Idiot. _

I hated Mai, from the depths of my heart for being so close to him, I hate her for being there for him when I'm not, I hate her because I feel myself powerless against her, I can't hurt her because she is so good, she is nothing like me and yet she has no idea that she has stolen his heart without knowing it. The day when I took Naru with me to dinner after getting rid of the lame spirit from that park, I noticed him looking out of the window deep in thought. I tried to catch his attention but he simply ignored me and when I finally got him to look at me, he simply cleared his throat, leaned forward and spoke to me in a barely audible yet fierce voice.

"_Miss Hara I do realize your motives_ _but I have a request to make."_

"_What is that Naru?"_

_He sighed and fixed his sharp gaze on me, his eyes showing determination._

"_Whatever you do, keep Mai out of all this...I do not want her to get involved."_

_And here she didn't even knew what she meant to him._

I watched as Mai and Naru conversed inside the room, seemingly unaware of my presence.

* * *

"Masako is here, Naru, she wants to see you..."

I heard him sigh heavily before he looks up and answers Mai.

"Tell her I'm not here."

_He doesn't want to see me..._

"Don't be an idiot Naru, go see her." Mai made a face and crossed her arms, stubbornly

"Is she outside?" He stood up slowly and I could feel my sinking heart pick up speed.

"Yeah she is."

"Oh really?" I see him turning to face Mai and lean forwards. "She is outside...Hn."

And I could only watch horrified as he leaned forward...

More...

And more until there was a distance of two centimeters between them

"Mai" He carefully placed his forehead against hers and I watched Mai quiver as he put his hands on her shoulders.

I felt a sick sensation erupt in my stomach and travel to my throat, burning my lungs, my eyes blurred and all I could feel was betrayal, hurt and-and angst. He was never mine, he could never be mine and in that moment when his eyes flickered to me and he gave me that look, I came to know something. I had known it always but acceptance came late. He showed me that he never liked me, he rid me of all hope, he did it to me, hurt me, told me my value and he used Mai for that...

I was sick of myself, I was disgusted...I felt like nothing. I had meant nothing to my family, there was no love, there was always a race going on, a marathon towards success and even though I had succeeded in that race, I had nothing, I had no one, I was alone, that loner, the doll from school who hid from everybody because she was different, she could see the supernatural, because she was a freak.

A plotting freak...

Slowly, I blinked back the tears and closed the door knowing that a moment later, Mai would come out all red in the face, shouting swear words at him and so it happened. Mai nearly burst out of the office, clutching her heart, red in the face and her words echoing around the whole room.

"WHY THE NERVE OF YOU JERK, HOW DARE YOU PLAY THAT TRICK ON ME! YOU NARCISSISTIC TEA-LOVER! HOW CAN YOU BE SO – UGGGGGH!"

She completely ignored me and I was glad, I needed time alone, I needed to come up with something more evil directly towards him, not Mai, she didn't need this but I was jealous of her; because even though she had nothing to go by I knew she had found , I wasn't letting go that quickly, he deserved this, at least until his real name is found out which isn't long. I was going to make his temper flare and amuse myself until the old wounds had healed and there was place for new ones. Until then, I'll try to cure this feeling, I don't want it. No. Never.

The tears had blinded my vision, threatening to fall when I got into someone's way, crashing with them.

"Hey Masako-chan!"

_Yasu. Not now, I didn't want to see anyone now_

"Hello Yasuhara-san. I hope you are fine."My muffled voice must have startled him since he placed a hand on my shoulder as if comforting me. I didn't dare to look up at him so he simply bent down to look at my face, I could see his frown from my blurry vision, before he finally spoke up.

"You know anybody would think that I'm cheating on Bou-san but," He paused and smiled consolingly as if he knew everything. "I'll make everything alright. Promise."

I nodded, flushed and found my way to the office door, flashing a quick glance at Yasu I could feel my lips quirk into a short smile.

_Love was such a pathetic ideology..._

* * *

**park-case*: Ghost Story In The Park.**

**Thanks for the reviews/follows/favorites, I'm overwhelmed...I hope you're enjoying.**

**R&R**

**- borntoflyhigh.**


	3. - Y A S U -

**'CLICK'**

**Disclaimer: Despite my fantasies, I do not own Ghost Hunt :-)**

**For starters, let's just say that I have no personal grudge against Masako, in fact she's a lot like me (hey just count beautiful and talented not snobbishness ;-) and she's a Leo too, so I can't really have a grudge on her. Thanks a lot for the reviews, keep it up because they make me update faster! Also I reposted this chapter since I made a mistake, Naru shouldn't have told Mai about his mother because she doesn't know that Madoka lives in England or that Naru is English. Thanks to Iloveanimex for pointing that bit out!**

**Summary: Plan B? Of course he had no Plan B, because Plan A worked perfectly, after all what harm could shutting Big Boss and Mai in a closet do. Nothing...Nothing at all.**

* * *

**-Y A S U-**

"So..." Masako-chan pursed her lips into a thin line as she put down the glass of orange juice. "Any Plan B's?"

_Plan B?_

Pfft...Me, Yasuhara, requiring second plans, that was when the first ones failed and in my plans there was no such word as failing; they worked like a trick. Obviously living for two hundred years actually gives you a lot of experience and expertise.

"No Plan B's." I leaned in my seat, putting the cash on the table, voicing my opinions. "It won't fail Masako-chan"

She gave me a short-lived smile and I winked at her, watching her as she started to wipe her lips off a napkin before glancing briefly at me.

"Yasu, if he doesn't get the obvious signal then-" I sighed and waved off her concerns.

"He will, he's not that blind, and Lin-san's supporting us too, right?" I leaned forward to stare at her, smirking. "And if he doesn't well then I won't take you on any more dates."

I relished in her flushed expression before she stood up and I followed suit.

"So, when are we going to implement this plan, I can't wait to have revenge on him."

I sighed, taking off my glasses and pocketing them for a while.

"Me too, I mean that guy needs to get a grip on his feelings."

"So does Mai."

"Yeah. So does Mai, but hey, don't boys make the first moves Masako-chan?"

"Boys like you do, this was supposed to be a date? I'm cheating on Kazuya."

Now that stung...honestly did, like when Bou-san pushes me off and sticks on to Ayako. So to answer her I just went for the truth, after all both of us knew that Kazuya and dating are like on other sides of the globes, there had to be some other reason for him to stick to Masako like that, without any obvious emotion towards her.

"You and I both know," I opened the door of the black car for her and she promptly took a seat inside. "That there's nothing of the sort between you, why would you help me set up Mai with him then?"

I noticed her frown, it looks bad on her face, really...

"And until I figure out what's going on between you both, just know this." I leaned down and faced her, a cheeky expression covering my face. "I'm not letting go."

She huffed and shook her head, as if annoyed but I could see her grin reflected in the mirror of the car as it drove away.

_So where did I leave my genius plan, oh yeah, right, need to make a call...Plan B's as if, hah!_

* * *

_Teeheehee..._

The smell of victory wafted in my nostrils as I casually made my way to Mai-chan, the cute, innocent girl was pouring tea for Big Boss and humming to a nice song.

"Hey Mai-chan!" I waved and she smiled back happily, I could practically imagine her floating down the aisle, in a long, white, veiled dress holding a beautiful bouquet as he takes her hand and just ogles at her.

Wait – Big Boss and ogling, no that came out wrong- so I can visualize him holding her hand and just...um...staring...okay maybe...looking, eh, she's his wife not a monitor screen...okay so he's glancing at the floor, wait...what?...I-

"So Yasu, how's college?"

Great way to shatter the wedding moment...

"Umm yeah it's good, and oh did you hear the great news?" I could practically hear the excitement in my own voice.

_Time for action!_

"No, what's that?"

_Teeheehee._

"Madoka is coming over and you know what, she'll dress you all up as cartoon characters and take you all for a party."

"Hey that's great!" She faced me and beamed. "That way Naru will finally relax!"

Save your bright smiles for your wedding Mai-chan...I carefully sided over to her and whispered in her ear.

"She's going to make you all wear outrageous costumes and take all the girls for a two-day shopping trip. The costumes are so...um...bad...that Lin-san refused."

Her left eye twitched and the tea-cup in her hand started to shake fervently, her nervous smile and gasps made it hard to hide my smirk.

"Eh? Th-that bad?!"

"She's coming over in fifteen minutes, I think you and Naru should hide Mai, I heard she was going to dress you and him up as bride and bridegroom."

Her expressions changed from nervous to dead frightened and petrified when the words sunk in.

"KYAAAA!" She roared and I watched her whole form get drenched in a very dark shade of red. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" This reaction amused me and I fidgeted internally with laughter.

I loved this place like home, working with these guys, unnecessarily hitting on Bou-san, flirting with Mai-chan, making Big Boss snap in annoyance, enjoying to have Lin submit to me (due to a letter of his about Naru which might make the latter's PK overflow in anger) and seeing Ayako seethe in jealousy with the way Bou-san and I got over-friendly, those moments were absolute heaven. Working in here was the best thing that ever happened to me, along with the two-hundredth birthday I recently celebrated.

The first time I saw Big Boss, I knew he wasn't that hard, in fact he was quite a softie on the inside (please do not let Naru see this), he cared about others, scratch that; he cared about Mai. More than cared and yet he didn't express it in that blunt manner of his and this was a complete mystery to me, his mysteriousness was inexplicable and yet this lured me to solve it all the more. One day I'll take off that black curtain, I swear and then when I'll finally come to know Masako's relationship with him, maybe than I can go out with her.

I grinned like a maniac, a giggle threatening to burst out of me, as I watched Mai-chan confront Lin and ask him about Madoka's arrival, poor Lin did just as he was told; first he warned Naru of Madoka's so-called plan, then he carefully told Mai about it.

Ah, there she turns white, that just means I'm elevated on to the status of a complete genius and that my plan was working just like it should. Some might call me a prankster but hey my pranks are friendly and they end up in people laughing.

Okay maybe not always. Like that time when I put an allergic substance in my father's food so I could experiment, the old man laughed until there were tears in his eyes, which he later told me were tears of happiness on seeing his son play tricks just like him when he was young. See, I made him happy.

I saw Mai rush inside Naru's office, her breath hitched and her voice octaves higher which made it easier for me to overhear their conversation.

"We need to hide." Mai all but yelled, panicking. "Madoka's coming here in ten minutes and I do not want to be spotted by her evil eye today."

I loved Mori-san, she's perfect. Even telling lies about her arrival made other people run to life-insurance agencies, or their private closets, whatever was closer and more hidden.

"Mai, I know that, where do we hide, there's no place in the office-"

I almost laughed at the slight panic in his voice as he tried to keep Mai and himself calm, now Mai was going to suggest that they hide in the closet.

And...

"There's the closet." Mai's voice could be heard all over Tokyo. "Your cupboard, but where are you going to hide?"

I laughed internally, no, maybe I cackled as I spotted a slight glint in Lin's eyes. The Chinese may not show it but he was pretty fun-loving when it came to teasing Naru. Silence ensued from Naru's office before he finally spoke up, indifference trying to lace his tone.

"We're both going in there."

* * *

So, it's been ten minutes and Masako-chan just joined us, bending over to hear the conversation going inside the office. That is when Lin beckoned for us to follow him inside his office and me and Masako followed him, astonishingly, a laptop adorned his desk, _my_ laptop, I vaguely realized, which showed Big Boss and Mai in that closet, arguing in their usual manner.

Masako gasped. So he had set a camera in that closet!

"You are a genius Lin-san." I grinned, ruffling my hair as I took a seat and comfortably sat in the chair, turning to my other crime companions.

"Anyone wants popcorn?"

* * *

"Mai stop making strange noises, as if it isn't already stifling in here."

She looked up at him and stopped mumbling, her eyes ablaze.

"It isn't my fault that I'm claustrophobic."

"I haven't seen the symptoms of claustrophobia in you before." He just shot back and leaned against the wooden surface.

She huffed and her cheeks puffed out, her eyes showed true fear and her features were adorned with small blush lines.

"Well let's just say that Madoka's party plans have strangled the life out of me."

"Hn."

She looked up again, annoyed and pushed her hair behind her ear. My adorable Mai-chan!

"Lin-san, Yasu and Masako would be hiding won't they, wonder what Madoka will feel when she sees the office empty, I hope she isn't offended."

I saw Boss scoff a little at her selflessness.

"Mai, she's planning to make idiots out of us and you care for her well being?"

"Well she's human and it's not good to offend someone nice like Mori-san."

"Nice." I saw him murmur to himself. "Mai you do not know the woman she's pure evil."

"But still, she's nice, she's your teacher, you can't talk about your sensei like that!"

Her voice got louder and louder...

"Well, I can't say I'm fond of her."

"Naru, you should care about people other than you or your mirror!"

"Why should I do that?"

"Because you have got to be nice to people, stop being like an ice-cube."

"I do not believe in being nice to stupids and idiots."

Mai-chan had somehow leaned closer to him, they were staring intently into each others' eyes and I could feel the moment building as they kept their eyes locked. Yes, they were close, so very close; his eyes showed nothing but he did not pull his eyes away or avert his gaze...he just kept staring. Beside me, I felt Lin-san fold his arms and sigh as if disappointed and I turned to him curious.

"It's over." Lin mumbled. "He's seen the calendar."

_Calendar?_

I watched Big Boss, reach over Mai's shoulder and take a small chart in his hand, the calendar. But how would a calendar ruin my plan and that's when the whole idea came crashing upon me.

"Mai what's the date today?"

I watched the spell bound Mai slowly turn her head towards Naru and blush furiously before managing to tell him the date and that's when his eyes dawned in comprehension.

"Madoka can't come today." He mumbled, to himself, lost. "She can't."

Mai raised her eyebrows, curiously.

"Why?!"

"Dammit Mai, today is April Fool's Day..."

"All the more reason for Mori-san to come over and take us to a crazy party!"

"Madoka never leaves her house on April Fool's Day Mai, she shuts herself in her room and plans tricks that she would play on 2nd April, she stays inside because as much as she likes playing pranks, she doesn't appreciate being made a fool."

_Eh? does Mori-san really do that. Hey, wait, does this mean that Lin knows too!? He...betrayed me?_

All of a sudden, Boss's blue eyes land on the camera, enabling us to get a full view image of his iris, under normal circumstances I would have appreciated his blue eyes and Masako would have swooned but today his iris held that one unforgivable emotion.

_Anger. Wrath._

May God have mercy on me.

I don't care what happens to the others, just save me from his wrath. I was just able to look at him, reaching for te camera before glaring at it. Glaring and mentally digging our graves.

"Lin. Yasu, I swear if you are behind this..."

Lin hurriedly shut the laptop and scraped the chair back in it's place, Masako followed his suit and they both almost ran towards the door.

"Hey guys!" I called but to no avail. I was stuck and bad, alone with two beasts. "Masako-chan, you were supposed to support me!" She shot me a worried glance and just shuffled her way out of the door.

"I was _supposed _to. I'll be sure to send some roses for your grave."

"Roses?! Grave?!"

No...

I haven't done anything wrong, I still have to live to see my future generations and yer the cool, calm yet scary voice that echoed behind me showed me my future, under the ground.

"Yasu."

Big Boss...

Uh-oh...

_What was Plan B, again?_

* * *

While on the other side of the street, the young medium, Masako, smiled lightly and sighed, shaking her head. So much for Yasu's plans, she had made sure she wouldn't lose, she couldn't give up on Oliver yet, could she?

_But placing calendars in his closet did prove helpful. Ah, the power of love and evil._

* * *

**Hope you liked it, I think it was OOC but this chapter was more light and tension free I think. Please review :-)**


	4. - M O N K -

**'Click'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt, although Fuyumi Ono does...**

**Thanks to all the reviewers for the previous chapter, all reviews made me extremely happy:**

**Yumemi Sayaka, kaoru12211991, Straight. to. the. Point, Naruisawesome, Iloveanimex, NaginiFay, 14AmyChan, XxSapphire-fandomsxX, thank you guys your reviews made me laugh and I was really happy that you guys got a laugh out of the story, so thanks again!**

**On to the story!**

**Summary: Takigawa knows that Oliver Davis being Naru is the reality, the clear truth but he reflects on the happiness inside SPR and figures out that reality doesn't make sense. Nor does the fact that with Naru's going, everything at SPR would disband. Not only will he be taking back the dead body of his twin, he'd also be taking a heart...Taniyama Mai's heart.**

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**_MONK_**

Kids these days...

When I was a teenager, Mum and Dad often had me sweep the temples and help the other Monks with any errands, they said that helping each other promoted fraternity but I know the real reason; they just wanted to make sure that I did not spend too much time with the music player, which is downright cruelty, if you ask me. But I've strayed from the topic, where was I again? Oh yeah, sweeping temples...yeah I remember now.

So when Mum and Dad had me clean the temples, I used to wonder what I would want to become once I grew up. Family tradition mocked my ambition and obliged me to become a Monk, but at that time, sweeping temples, exorcising ghosts and chanting magic spells (as children of those days thought them to be) seemed so monochrome. I thought of being a boxer or a model but I really don't know why I chose to be a bassist.

My mother rashly claimed that it was the only job that would allow me to keep the ponytail. That was so not true, maybe part of it was but hey, you can't blame my crazy taste! Nobody dared challenge it except him. _Him. _Nobody ever questioned my abilities. Except_ him._

What I never imagined, ever, not even in the wildest nightmares that I would grow up to be slave-driven by a seventeen year old paranormal investigator. Nope fellows, _that, _was not on my agenda. I never thought that a teenager would ever force his will upon me but then again he wasn't a normal human, let alone a normal teenager and then again he was so responsible that his personality shouted perfection, from face to brain it seemed as if he had been especially blessed by God. Also, it didn't help that he was the most famous paranormal researcher and scientist, alive on Earth.

Who was he, you ask.

I don't know the answer myself because, I don't know who he really is...

Oliver Davis? Naru? I don't know myself and I'll never know...because even though he has ruled the company for more than a year, just the thought of him being Oliver Davis makes him so distant from reality, from all of us. It makes me wonder whether this is another alias, another lie or a deceit. Just the conception of it all makes reality senseless. Logic makes all pieces fit but I don't know about logic and facts anymore. Reality doesn't make sense now.

He has a twin, who's dead and he wears black because he's mourning for that twin...he has PK, he lied to us, he is admired by every one who is connected to the spiritual researchers. And yet is he Oliver Davis or is he just Naru? I have never been close to him, I don't think anybody has ever been closer to him but one thing I know.

He's been on his own all this time. He's been mourning all this time...for someone who died. Just to think that we have never delved into his past before this day.

I can feel myself reeling back to the time when I invited them to a concert of mine. The first time I found Naru in a normal activity other than taking temperature readings, observing supernatural phenomena or anything unearthly like that. The first time I saw him there before knowing he was Oliver Davis.

It was a wild night, there was the whole team in the front, cheering madly except for Masako, Lin and Naru. Naru, however, wasn't as stiff as he was previously on the cases, his shoulders were relaxed and his eyes seemed to be fixed on a brunette who was whistling as if her life depended on it and that was when I finally accepted that he was fascinated by her and even if he didn't show it, he was intrigued by her to say the least. And my suspicions proved correct when I heard Ayako tell to Lin in her drunken state that Naru had gone to walk Mai home or make sure she went to her house, safely.

I knew he cared about her a lot, ever since Mai told us that she was an orphan, I knew he had employed her out of sympathy and from then on I watched as something, something intangible developed between them, not a relationship, not friendship but something more concrete yet subtle, while I, on the other hand had developed a phobia from two things during my work with them.

Ayako Matsuzaki and her damned purse, the one that was made to hit my scalp repeatedly. However I am not sure if I have developed a phobia for Ayako maybe it's just her purse or her red nails that have twice scratched my face. Oh, I don't know, one day I might just marry her.

Emphasis on _might, _if I don't have a concussion or get a coma from one of those purses before the unfortunate day.

Unfortunate, yeah right...

He didn't nod when I said he's Oliver Davis, he didn't make a face he didn't make a face nor did he clap his hands and say 'oh-yeah-you-finally-figured-it-out!' although I didn't expect him to do take the last option unless he's a total idiot, or unless he's Madoka Mori. Whatever.

And now when I watch him go out of the room, I know my research was all correct. Every word but I don't feel triumphant since recovering the lost dead body would mean one thing...

That he's going back to England. Without us...without SPR,most importantly without Mai.

Alone.

Again.

I watch him stride towards Mai who is leaning against a tree, mumbling to herself and then suddenly I feel like I don't want to watch any further. Mai was still my sister but she was grown-up and I didn't want to hear what she said. A small part of me wanted him to hug her and tell her how much he cared for her but the rational part knew one thing. This was Naru and Naru wasn't a emotional person and certainly not a hugging person. But now I know what I want, I want Mai to have him and him to realize that somewhere out there people do love him like their own kid. Ayako is leaning on the window observing them closely, her eyes moist.

"What are you crying about?"

She turned her head towards me and I saw her sad eyes.

"He's going and he's breaking her."

I knew that, clearly but I know that his pride would never break, his ego would never let him accept the fact that he cared about her.

"Houshou." It was the first time Ayako had called me by my first name. "Why do I feel like he's running away from us and from her?"

"He is..."

"He's doing the wrong thing, he can't go, not now!"

I sighed and turned to look at her.

"I know...if he goes, she wouldn't take it easily."

"She'd cry a lot, she'd be broken. She thought him as a hero."

"Hmm..." I turned away from the window and relaxed my tense shoulders. "And he won't feel a thing."

Would he? Would he feel sad? Mad? Angry? Or nothing at all?

I didn't know, I'd never know...

Kids these days...

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**Majorly OOC, I know, at least I think so...I just couldn't figure out what to write since Monk is so difficult to get into and so I decided to just flow along. And the next scene is the rejection one so hold on tight and keep your tissue boxes ready! Also please check out the other story I've written, it's an AU and I have already published two chapters up. I'll try to update as soon as possible.**

**Lots of love and chocolate cakes!**

**borntoflyhigh**


	5. - G E N E -

**'Click'**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt, just so you know :-\**

**Gene: Finally...someone remembers me.**

**Me: Hullo?! Who called you?**

**Gene: *shocked* I thought I just lost my value...**

**Me: You did...for God's sake go back to the astral plane, you're dead anyways.**

**Gene: *frowning at insensitive attitude* Review, I have to talk to Noll about this, his attitude is lessening my fan club, I'm supposed to get more sympathy, not that idiot nerd!**

**Me: Yeah right...thanks for reading ;-) I slightly twisted the confession to my wishes so I could fit Gene in the idea.**

**Gene: I'm not particularly thankful Mari-chan. Anyways people, please read and review.**

**Summary: (Story 5) 'I know he's scared, I know he still has those nightmares, I know he's confused and I know that I'm nothing but a burden for him...it wasn't his fault that I got ditched in some lake and decided to die. I wish I didn't know all this and I wish I had never died...This was me. Dead, rotten, decomposed. Who'd love me? Who'd love a dead person?' - Eugene Davis.**

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**'GENE '**

_He dreads sleeping, it's the same every night, not because he's afraid he won't wake...but because he doesn't want to see the same nightmares, because he has broken down, completely._

_Completely..._

I know he's scared, I know he still has those nightmares, I know he's confused and I know that I'm nothing but a burden for him...it wasn't his fault that I got ditched in some lake and decided to die. If you look at it that way, it isn't his fault at all...those nightmares, that damned psychometric ability of his and God knows what else that is on 'self-destruct mode'. One ounce of his power used and he'd die. He still yells whenever the vision is repeated, he still can't control his powers and he's not strong. He's just fighting it. Perfunctorily, like performing some duty.

I wish I didn't know all this and I wish I had never died...

Pictures, medical science and anything that depends on vision are the only objects that term us as 'identical twins', there's nothing 'identical' between me and Noll, he's always been all shadows, emotionally stifled and like a ramrod and I've been the exact opposite; the model boy any parent would have. I never thought life would take such a turn, it was impossible, that me, Eugene Davis would die. I was the better one, I was kinder, compassionate and everything you'd want in a boy and yet I was destined to be murdered. Ironical, isn't it?

Whoever said that' life works in strange ways' is a genius man, that dude totally wrote down my biography.

If there is something that Noll hates more than stupid people is comparison. He hated when people used to draw a line between the two of us, he hated it when people said that if not for me, Noll would never have been adopted. How do I know? I've seen it in his expressions, that tilted frown of his, his silent disposition. He's never been told that he's someone else than my twin, he's never been Oliver Davis and I know it since I've felt it in him. Nobody except Luella and Martin recognized him as anybody else than 'Gene's twin'.

Except for her, that brunette, Mai. She's always liked me but she likes Noll better, though I hardly see her point, what's so good in Noll? He barely speaks except to command people, he's rude, a total idiot, with no compassion in his heart. He hides the truth (lies!) and is dangerous for everyone related to him. Then why doesn't she like me better? Why does she prefer Noll in her thoughts and I know she's not confusing us, she's not as stupid as Noll thinks, in her imagination we're two different people in the same body. However, it's not that simple.

And yeah it doesn't help me when I'm in love with her.

It just makes me furious and jealous, which is totally unfair to Noll and unreasonable, since I'm supposed to wish for Noll's happiness, being his older twin and all. But then again loving a living person, who loves my brother, who apparently is fond of her too...it's too risky, it's like making your own death life more complex.

I want to tell her who I am...I want her to just acknowledge that I'm another being and I'm not Dream Noll, she compares me to him and this time I know how Noll felt when he was compared to me back in the good old days.

Jealousy...awful feeling really. Fighting over a girl wasn't on the things-to-do list I made with Noll, in fact it didn't even cross my mind that we'd fight over the same girl and when we're in such different positions. I'm bound to lose, really...since I'm dead and she's alive and somewhere in the back of my wild, irrational, pathetically-in-love mind...I don't want Noll to win her.

"There's no way that I'll confuse you and your brother, Naru!" Mai said, a frown etching across her face and I observe Noll's small smile...which is just showing bitterness, I think those years of being compare to me are finally catching up with his expressions.

"We were twins."

A slight hope dashes across me as I watch her expression turn to one of pure astonishment. Is she happy that I'm another person, not Noll? Does she love me, not Noll? Does she-

It's impossible.

"What was he like?"

Her question makes me happy, more happy than I should have been at that moment. Noll sighs internally and replies with a small fondness in his eyes.

"He was a lot like you."

"Eh? Me?"

"He was good, kind and compassionate and everybody liked him."

Her happy smile at the answer makes me want to push Noll out of the picture and stand next to her. If only I was alive...

"He seems nice." Her smile didn't fade and I find myself smiling back despite the situation.

"He's stupid." Noll's sour answer makes me copy Mai's expression. "He should have moved on."

Nervous laughter comes from Mai's side as she leans against the tree, her blush deepening as she fidgets and intertwines her fingers, saying something that makes something inside me sink like a wrecked boat.

"I like you."

He raises an eyebrow, not getting what she meant. I don't know where the knowledge gained from the romance novels I forced on him went? I was preparing him for this moment, although not for Mai but yes I wanted him to be able to recognize a confession without the meaning being spoon-fed to him. Slow poke. Idiot scientist.

He mumbles his reply and I watch the small blush adorning her features, taking complete control of her face as she sighs in frustration at his lack of understanding. He's stupid really, the person who gave him that degree in paranormal research must have been pretty blind not to see how much social skills he lack, even if they don't consider that in such a degree, but still-

"I like you...in a special way..."

It doesn't hit me, it doesn't hurt me...and I'm not surprised, it was always Noll...I had known that since the very beginning, from the start. I knew the facts and that made swallowing it easier, it was like I had submitted to the fact and deep down, I didn't want to die...I wanted to live. Whatever Noll was, he lived, he had a girl who loved him for his own self, not for his looks or his money or his fame. Loved him for being narcissistic, know it all Noll. Not for Oliver Davis. Not for Kazuya Shibuya. Not for anything materialistic and I want to be happy for him, but I can't smile, I can't even think straight.

Would she have loved me if I had been in Noll's place?

And then he says something that I'll never forget, something that will remain embedded in my heart forever.

"Me or Gene?"

I can't help that stupid tear and it escapes...

I'm dead...she couldn't love me, she didn't even know I existed till today, till now...how could – she love me back. How could she?! Noll that idiot!

"Two boys, same face, same powers." He states, crossing his arms. "One is good the other is bad, who would a girl choose?" I can see the facade he's ptting up the same indifferent attitude, the same cold, cool, nonchalant demeanour he thinks will help him recover from blows. He is wrong...he needs to talk it out.

His smile is small, understanding and sad, as if he had been expecting that and when she doesn't answer to his question I feel a small hope fill me up. Like something bittersweet, both good and bad.

Maybe...just maybe she loves me – it's impossible...unreasonable and irrational.

I'm dead.

It's never been me.

He's shutting me out of the telepathic connection and I know that he doesn't want to talk to me and now I know that he doesn't love her, why else would he reject her? Why else would he ask that stupid question, why else?!

She's crying.

And it angers me...I want her to be here with me, I want to comfort her, tell her that Noll wasn't probably the best for her, to just keep her with me with any lame excuse and yet...I feel bad for Noll, it's like he can never be happy and here I thought he loved this girl. Like really...Noll is not a romantic person.

They talk a bit but I tune them out, I'm angry, I'm confused, worried, frustrated and maybe...just maybe I'm hopeful. Then I see Lin coming out to inform them that my body has been found and I feel like I want to stay here for a bit longer, as if I want to stay here with her. But I know that I have to move on or else Noll won't go back to England. So I just watch them as they find a corpse wrapped in a sheet, soaked in water with black hair clearly visible.

This was me. Dead, rotten, decomposed.

Who'd love me? Who'd love a dead person?

And what about Mai, she'll feel broken when he goes away and just for this once I know Noll has been an idiot to not love a girl like Mai, extremely idiotic of him to not hold her close, although I was sure he was fond of her and may even develop feelings for her but I guess I was wrong, maybe he just thinks of her as a friend.

Noll reaches out to touch the rotting cloth that covers me but then withdraws his hand when he's just an inch away and I know he's feeling angry, his eyes scream angst. He doesn't want to deal with all this anymore, so he just turns around and starts to walk away...away from me. Now everything would go back to the way it was, Noll would go to London, Mai would find another job, SPR would disband and I would move on.

I hate this plan

And then Noll shocks me once more, I can feel the telepathic connection open, Noll didn't want it to connect with me but I think he got lost in the emotional thread and then when I hear his next thoughts, I know I've been wrong about Noll, I know I've been wrong all along and I know I've been nothing but a hurdle for both him and Mai.

I know...it's all my fault.

"_I hate you Gene." _He's thinking that, my own twin hates me. _"You did it again, you won her Gene and I lost. I lost...once more...are you happy?"_

He hates me.

He loves her.

And he thinks I've won...

It isn't his fault, it's mine...his life is messed up because of me.

I'm glad I died.

I'm glad I'm out of the way...I'm glad I'm found and I'm glad it worked out this way, he found my body and that I'm going to move on from my Living Hell.

I won...and it's no triumph for me. It makes me sick, sick to think that my other half hates me, that my other half has a ruined life due to me. It makes me sick to the pit of my stomach that he thinks I wanted Mai. I do want her...but not like that. Never like that.

He had the nightmare again tonight, he yelled again and I stood there watching him, enduring his yells, nobody hears him, Lin, Monk, John, Yasu; no one. He sobs in his dreams and no one cares. Because they've never seen him broken...they've never seen him helpless. I've seen him helpless when he used to perform Psychometry unintentionally, I've seen the emotions running through his blank eyes, I've seen him wrapped in emotions, screaming, yelling, crying, laughing maniacally. Nobody cares, all they see is the pale face, the blue eyes and the facade he puts up. Nobody knows, nobody cares to learn the truth, nobody wants to care.

I don't want to care too...I don't want to know the truth, it hurts, it hurts a lot. It's destiny, it's fate and I just watch like a silent observer, thinking over his words, twisting them around in my mind endlessly.

I won Mai and I don't know how to deal with that fact. I hate everything, every single thing I lay my eyes on, especially that covered dead-body, that rotten thing that has caused this much trouble, the thing that has twisted mine and Noll's fate with something nasty. And for once I can't smile, for once I look exactly like Noll does every day and it infuriates me, everything, every single thing that reminds me of my death, I'm beginning to hate myself but if there is a person I don't want to hate and yet can't help hating, it's _him._

_I hate Noll...for everything._

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**OOC? He doesn't seriously hate him, just so you guys know, just thought that angsty Gene needs to be written down. Wrote it at 1 in the morning, listening to a heart-wrenching song, so please review everyone or leave a follow/favorite ;-) Until next time in which we will present Ayako Matsuzaki!**

**- BoRnToFlYhIgH - **


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